busylizzy

Well I can't say I've experienced quite the rain that douluvme has endured in the last few weeks, but I have been in Asia during some heavy downpours.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the raincoat. With the heat experienced in Asia I couldn't stand the thought of putting on a raincoat - it would be sticky, hot and clammy. Yech! Maybe consider bringing a small fold-up umbrella. Mind you, I took one on my last trip and used it twice - to keep the sun off! You can buy super cheap ponchos there to wear if you end up on a motorbike or otherwise get caught out.

It sounds like the weather there is pretty extreme at the moment - but it can't go on forever (right?!). When in Thailand/Cambodia this time a few years ago, we had a couple of days where it dumped down for an hour or so in the afternoon. That was the perfect time to take shelter in a local restaurant and enjoy a cold drink. Worst case, you get wet - you dry out.

boxee

Joined Travelfish26th March, 2008Location SingaporePosts: 131

mac i hope u are correct , i was in thailand for the whole of april last year , and did not see one drop of rain , and the weather was hitting the 40 degree mark in sakhon nakhon !!,
was starting to think this year i would need a jumper and an umbrella for songkran!

Captain_Bob

Joined Travelfish27th May, 2006Location ThailandPosts: 1670

Freaky weather this year so don't try to predict too much. April is usually the hottest time of year but further south you can expect at least some thundershowers which tend to be short-lived. But right now it's pissing down in the south and the sun just cracked through again in the north. The coolest "hot season" I've seen here in the past decade or so. As for the jacket, personally I'd leave it out and pick one up cheap here if you find you want one (Tesco 199b!). I usually just bring a small collapsable umbrella which doubles as a sun shade on those hot days. You may still want one light pullover though for encounters with Thai-style airconditioning (turbo).

worldbound

Joined Travelfish21st February, 2011Posts: 23

Thanks for the advice everyone. I took the bulky rain jacket out of my bag and I plan on just buying a small umbrella when I get there. I'm coming from NY so I still expect it to be hot compared to the weather here!

exacto

i've weathered more than a few rainy seasons in thailand and never used a raincoat either. the small umbrella you mentioned is a good idea. on our last two extended trips, we just picked up a few of those cheap, fold-up rain poncho things you can get for under $2 at places like Target and Walmart. small. very light. only needed to use it one time. most of the time, if it is rainy heavily, you'll be finding cover and waiting it out anyway. great chance to grab a beer until it stops. cheers.

CrankyCarrot

Joined Travelfish24th March, 2010Location ThailandPosts: 662

When it rained, it poured here in Phuket - and it didn't let up for a week. During that time it all the local convenience stores in Patong, Karon and Kata seemed to have sold out raincoats, but now they're replenished supplies.

It's about 30-50 baht for a cheap poncho - I keep one stashed under the seat of the motorbike in case it decides to deluge again.